No one understands better than the Boston Bruins that a series isn’t over until it’s over.

“It would be nice,” David Krejci told the Boston Globe when asked about the possibility of avoiding a Game 5. “But we know and we learned as a team that the last one is the hardest from past years and even in the last series. We’ve just got to get ready for tomorrow and play just like it’s Game 1.”

The Bruins have managed to get by without defensemen Dennis Seidenberg, Wade Redden, and Andrew Ference thanks in part to the rise of young and relatively inexperienced blueliners like Matt Bartkowski. Bartkowski’s success in particular has to be gratifying to Bruins fans, given that he was linked to Boston’s ultimately failed bid to acquire Jarome Iginla.

The New York Rangers might need boost from their depth blueliners as well. Marc Staal has only played once since March 5 due to his eye injury and now they might be forced to continue without defenseman Anton Stralman.

Needless to say, the Rangers situation looks bleak, but right now, they just have to focus on getting one win.

Chicago hasn’t lost three games in a row since the season started, but the Blackhawks are in danger of doing so now. That speaks to how consistently good they’ve been, but it also highlights just how little adversity they’ve faced this year.

They’ve come from behind in games and won close contests, but they got ahead of the league so quickly that many of those impressive victories were achieved in low pressure situations. Still, that doesn’t mean they’ll buckle under the pressure.

“Just because we haven’t faced a whole lot of adversity this year doesn’t mean we’ve never faced it in our lives before,” Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith argued, according to Chicago Sun-Times writer MarkLazerus. “Let’s face it: Winning in the playoffs isn’t easy. It’s not always going to go your way.”

He hasn’t scored a goal in the playoffs and this is the kind of situation that the Blackhawks look to their captain to step up.

Los Angeles hosts San Jose (10:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN)Series tied at 2-2

The Sharks and Kings had two of the NHL’s best home records in the regular season and neither team has lost a game in their arena during the 2013 playoffs. That’s good news for Los Angeles, even if they have squandered a 2-0 series lead.

If Sharks captain Joe Thornton manages to replicate his success in from Game 4 on Tuesday, then San Jose might break that trend and earn its third consecutive win tonight.

“That was vintage Joe Thornton right there,” Logan Couture told CSN Bay Area after the Sharks’ 2-1 win. “Unbelievable. Creating turnovers, making passes, skating like a young guy. He was flying, and I know me personally, it got me going. We need Joe to play like that for the rest of the playoffs.”

Whatever happens, it’s likely that this game will come down to the final minutes of action. The last three contests in this series have been determined by just one goal and even Game 1 was a close 2-0 affair.

Bruinsfan. Even if the rangers win tonight us rangers fans don’t have much hope. I would go so far as to say I don’t have any hope unless we get to and have the lead at some point in game 6. Then ill start to get excited at the possibility of a comeback. The way this series has gone we don’t deserve it unless they can pull a complete 180.

with tort game plan this series has been over.. hate to say it. Adam Graves pleaserr

bronxsanman - May 23, 2013 at 9:37 AM

If it does end in a sweep,then maybe someone upstairs will see the problem is and has been the same.TORTORELLA. Please fire him now and end this disaster.

micklethepickle - May 23, 2013 at 10:38 AM

So frustrating and disappointing that the Capitals blew a game 7 at home against a team as embarrassing as the Rangers. All the people in my office are ecstatic they didn’t have to play the Caps, and got the Rags instead. Poor Lundqvist – hope he gets a shot at a Cup run with a team whose coach has played hockey at some point, even if it’s just at the pee-wee level.

NYR fans deserve better than the pathetic product on the ice.

loyallakingsfan35yrs - May 23, 2013 at 10:46 AM

LA Kings host the Sharks… Think God we don’t have to see the “Power Play chomp thing” don’t those Shark fans realize how stupid they look? Seriously!…just saying.

Troll_toll - May 23, 2013 at 10:48 AM

Tortorella’s defensive system can work…but not for this team. When you have one of the best goalies in the world there is no need drop everyone deep into the defensive zone and block shots. This causes the break out to be horrible, the defensive to offensive transition to be stagnant. Not to mention the injuries that can ensure. (I’m not even going to touch the PP, perhaps the most pitiful PP I’ve ever seen in my 29 years on this planet…at any level.) I’m glad I’m not the GM cause I have no idea how the hell you sort this mess out. The talent on this roster is ridiculous. Really think the scheme needs to be opened up. How many of the cup winners of the last 6-7 years have relied on such a low scoring game. Off the top of my head I would say for at least the last 5 years all champs have had the ability to light up the net. Though minimal I still have slight hope they can crawl out of this dark dark hole they’ve put themselves in. In all of sports, coming back from a 3-0 series deficit rarely happens but how cool would it be. With that said this Boston team is sure playing inspired hockey and it’s hard not to tip your hat to the heart they’ve displayed so far this series. If they do finish off the Rangers I look forward to seeing them square off with the Pens. Has the making of a fantastic series. Go Rangers! Maybe the rest of the team other than Cally and The King will make an appearance tonight.

micklethepickle - May 23, 2013 at 11:00 AM

Good points, but I mainly thumbed you up for your handle. “You gotta pay the troll-toll, if you want into this boys-soul….” “It sounds like you’re saying ‘boy’s hole’!”

Pens stocked up their players to be ready to play the bruins and look where we will be in about 4 days..

blomfeld - May 23, 2013 at 11:19 AM

MUST … KILL … SHARKS !

It goes without saying that tonight is the biggest game of the year for us Kings. We need to physically hammer these people and we need to fill their net with rubber like it was a Good Year tire plant ! Thornton is an idiot … in fact the entire Sharks team are idiots ! Come on Kings, let’s finally get down to business here and ‘annihilate’ these pretenders once and for all !

GO KINGS GO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

cliverush - May 23, 2013 at 12:07 PM

The Bruins ability to play a fourth line has played a major role in the 3-0 lead.

Just goes to show you how depth has impact in the playoffs, a good team, like the penguins are prepared for it, also the bruins they have always been a team of depth. Capitals, Rangers, Ottawa, Montreal, had no depth. Though I think the leafs did have some depth, just not the star level, goaltending and experience that Pens and Bruins have. They are monopolizing the stanley cup. Everyone wants to go to these previous winners and teams like my Sabres have no chance in drawing a Brad Richards or Jerome Iginla like Boston/Pens could have. I am happy the Rangers choked, I hope Brad Richards is a healthy scratch tonight.